Crouching Fallout, Broken Steel

So I've just finished the last of the Fallout 3 expansions, and I have to say that I really got my money's worth out of that investment. For those who are unaware, Fallout 3 is a rather bizarre hybrid between first person shooter and expansive RPG. The game takes place from a first-person perspective, but all of your character's abilities are based on your character's level and build. This includes how much gear and loot you can carry, the price you can haggle for at shops, what weapons you can use and how effectively you can use them. It even impacts your conversations. For example, a character with a particularly high intelligence statistic and scientific aptitude might be able to discuss more complex topics, while one with a high charisma and speechcraft talent might be able to persuade people people to part with an important bit of information. Depending on the build, you can shoot, talk, or sneak your way through various situations.

Broken Steel continues the main plot of the storyline, which was strongly hinted to have definitively ended, especially after a longwinded epilogue voiced by Ron Perlman. Largely based on combat, Broken Steel reveals the aftermath of the choice you made at the end of the game's main storyline, and in any event covers the Brotherhood's ongoing struggle against the Enclave (the remnant of an evil shadow government that pulled some of the strings behind the great war). Once again, the story's climax entails a substantial moral choice, and once again it basically comes down to either Mother Theresa or baby eating.

Utlimately, the pros are as follows: More giant robot, an orbital laser, the chance to *really* screw over the Enclave (for those who never played Fallout, we really hate the Enclave), some interesting new enemies, and some fun combat levels.

Cons include a very short main set of missions, relatively unsatisfying sidequests, a notable lack of another epilogue by Mr. Perlman, and a few bugs. At one point, during a major conflict between the Brotherhood and the Enclave, I noticed that the AI for both sides had apparently forgotten to equip armor, and the two sides were doing battle in the skivvies. Amusing, but slightly flow-breaking.

Far more entertaining was The Pitt, a self-contained expansion quest that actually has you leaving the Capital Wasteland proper and venturing into the ruins of what used to be Pittsburgh. It's now a massive slave camp, and you've been recruited by an underground resistance to help mount a rebellion. The twist, without spoiling anything, is that neither the resistance or the spoilers are quite as they seem. For once, a real moral choice is presented.

The last (well, actually first, in terms of release date) DLC was Anchorage. While somewhat amusing, it really just amounts to a series of combat situations.

These expansions are reasonably priced at ten dollars apiece, but they're really only worth it if you enjoyed the original game. Anchorage especially is only worth the investment if you enjoyed the combat system, because there's virtually nothing to it other than shooting people. Broken Steel is nice, as it boosts your level cap to 30, allowing you to pretty much max out nearly every talent in the game. If you just weren't satisfied with the ending of Fallout 3 and would like to pay $10 to give Bethesda a second chance to impress you, this is for you. The Pitt is a fun little excursion, with some really nice visuals of decimated downtown Pittsburgh. It's all quite fun, but if you didn't like traveling the Capital Wastes the first time, you're not going to enjoy it any more this time. I should also note that you really won't get the same number of hours of gameplay per dollar out of these expansions than you did from the original game, especially when it comes to Anchorage.